GDI’s Story: Volunteer Pledge

As promised, the Brotherhood will be heard. A recent submission came our way from J-Mulde, an anonymous GDI from an unknown college. Sound fishy? Here’s what he has to say about his desires to pledge:

“I’m a GDI, unfortunately, but very pro-fraternity. I’ve been fascinated by the process of pledging for a long time, probably since I saw ‘The Class of 44’ as a kid. Mainly, I’m interested in initiation activities designed to humble the pledges and entertain the actives. I’ve often wondered about the possibility of going through the process, either as part of a pledge group or just on my own, volunteering for a customized version of it strictly to let the brothers have some laughs…”“…I have some pretty detailed ideas of what it might be like in either case, all based on real fraternity or team initiations I’ve read about, though some of the older, harsher things might not happen very much anymore. I wondered if there’d be any interest in reading about what I have in mind and whether I could get some feedback on the possible reaction I might get if I did volunteer for something like this. Let me know, thanks.”

J-Mulde stands alone in his desires. There aren’t many guys out there asking to be hazed, or atleast looking forward to it. And let’s get the story straight, J-Mulde isn’t a young-gun anymore. No matter how crazy this sounds, his mind couldn’t be in a better place. He cherishes the sacred pact of fraternities, and values all that pledgeship has to offer, no matter how old he is. He’s a rare GDI, a needle in a haystack.

My advice? You can’t just “pledge on your own“. Pledgeship is a unified semester of hazing, and it can’t be done alone. If possible, head to Rush and join the newest pledge class. If you’ve got the passion, you won’t have a problem. As for “harsher things not happening anymore”, you’re heavily mistaken. It’s all relative as to what college you go to, and what fraternity you pledge. Some inspire walks in the park as hazing, while others dunk your head in an ice bath. The brutal ones have found a way to stay alive through all the bullshit Anti-Hazing Douchebags.

As for the reaction, if you pledge, you’ll be no different than anyone else. You earn respect through your pledgeship. You can be an Ideal Pledge, Drunk Pledge, or even the Pledge Class President. It really doesn’t matter what your title is. It’s all about how you do it. I pledged with a 24-year-old. Whether you’re the oldest or the youngest, your personality and actions through pledgeship will determine how you are received. As cheesy as that shit sounds, it couldn’t be more true.

I’d love to hear more about your story, and what path you’re looking to go down. I applaud your efforts, as should everybody else.

Thanks for your positive response, PledgeMaster. When I was talking about being on my own, I should have been clearer that, in that case, I’d be volunteering for a customized Hell Week experience, rather than a solitary version of a whole pledge period, which, as you point out, really wouldn’t work.

Basically what I have in mind would be a week’s worth of as much misery and humiliation as the brothers could have fun inflicting, all based more or less on real initiation activities, but with no goal other than the entertainment — for them — of laughing their asses off at me and getting hours of free work out of me as I did whatever lowly, exhausting chores I was assigned.

I don’t know if you’ve read the book “Goat Brothers,” but it describes a real-life Hell Week in the early 1960s. I picture my experience starting out almost exactly the way Hell Week did for the pledges in that book, which is a process I can describe in some detail, if you’re interested. Let me know, thanks.

Squatch says 8 years ago

Doesn’t this schmuck know that there is so much more to pledging than just getting hazed? It’s all about getting hazed for the sake of brotherhood, not to brag about Hell Week to your friends.

1868 says 7 years ago

You’re only trying to get a book published or some kind of article. This is ridiculous. As a member of a fraternity I am appalled. You will never understand what any brother has gone through.

1901 says 7 years ago

This GDI is no rare breed he is uneducated on what a real pledge ship is. I’ve met many of these types before and they’re always the first to drop out of the pledge class. They think they can handle it because its all fun and games. Right? wrong its not fun and the only game is the one the brothers are destroying your mind with. The easiest part of pledging is the physical. If you cant survive the work outs your simply to fat and lazy to be in the upper tier life of everything that is frat. I was in a spring pledge class with only one other guy (say anything you want about spring pledging just because I was smart enough to wait and pick the right fraternity not during formal rush but after they show there true colors about who are the douche bags or not). My pledge brother was the same way this GDI is he thought being hazed and pledging was going to just be a “fun” thing. He thought he had an easy ride because his roommate was an active brother and this was his golden ticket in. He thought he was super pledge always trying too hard and sucking up like a little girl. Too bad all the brothers caught on to this by week two. Soon enough people started playing the mental game breaking him down putting him into his place as a pledge, and sure as s**t he quite the very next morning. I was left alone to finish the next 9 weeks by myself and it took everything I had to do so because without a full pledge class your phone rings non stop and someones always mad at you for doing something for another brother and not them. The best advice I have for any pledge who thinks its to hard to keep going is take it all with a grain of salt. All the brothers are only doing it to you because they had it happen to them. If they really hated you that much they wouldn’t have given you a bid in the first place.(Unless your in a bottom tier bid blanketing shit fraternity, but they wont haze anyway) Pledging sucks but it will push you to the point that you think you will break and then one day its all over. Your back to being a normal person and having your own rights again, but your not really back to normal your a better man and a brother.